More than 30 construction projects are underway across the University of North Texas campus, with many slated for completion by the start of the upcoming school year.
Projects include improvements to the Auditorium Building and Curry Hall at the Denton campus, North Texas Daily reported. Campus areas near Bonnie Brae Street and North Texas Boulevard are also being improved.
Helen Bailey, the director of facilities and construction at the University of North Texas, told North Texas Daily that most of the construction is on interior renovation projects. Bailey said many of the projects are being completed during summer to prepare the buildings for the students and improve spaces needed by programs that will commence in the fall.
According to Bailey, renovations to Curry Hall will continue into the new school year. A new sprinkler system will be installed, and updates will be made to the lights, restrooms, and air conditioning.
“The purpose of that renovation is to improve the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in the building,” Bailey explained.
The classrooms will be gutted and renovated, as will the finishes in the building. Bailey told North Texas Daily that these updates will bring “the whole building up to today’s codes for compliance and safety.”
On the north side of campus in the Auditorium Building, the main auditorium will not be in use this fall due to construction. The process of tearing down the residence hall, College Inn, will also last into fall. North Texas Daily reported that these projects are expected to be completed by late September.
Jeff Brown, the associate vice president for facilities, emailed North Texas Daily about the projects that will continue into the 2022-23 school year. According to Brown, the facilities department has worked hard to schedule the completion of construction projects to minimize their impact on campus operations.
The City of Denton is doing the nearby construction on North Texas Boulevard as part of the 2020 Street Reconstruction Bundle: Southwest Sector Project, North Texas Daily reported. Taxpayers funded it through 2012 and 2014 city bond programs.
In an email sent to North Texas Daily, City Councilmember Jesse Davis explained, “Bonds in large amounts, for big projects like roads and civic buildings, must be approved by voters in an election.”
He clarified that Bonnie Brae Street is the largest bond-funded project near campus.
“Voters approved major improvements to Bonnie Brae in 2014,” he said, “and the project also includes a major water main upgrade under the street, which is part of why construction has taken so long.”
Bonnie Brae Street construction is expected to be completed before the new school year begins. North Texas Boulevard will still be under construction, according to Bailey.
Davis told North Texas Daily there are no other major construction projects planned near campus until next summer.
